Question 1

do you need to get the rabies shots if you were close to a bat it never landed on me. i pushed a dead tree down and it was hiding under the bark where i pushed. i dispatched it with a long stick. i was vaccinated 5years ago. freaking out so sorry?

Accepted Answer

: No need for revaccination because  you did not have any direct close contact with bat.  Transmission of the virus requires a break in the skin by the teeth of rabid animal or contamination of scratches, abrasions, or mucous membranes with saliva of rabid animal.

Question 2

from india, there was a dead bat in my office.should i be worried about ebola or rabies, as small amount of thick liquid in my hair near an opencut boil?

Accepted Answer

Were you exposed?: The answer lies in your ability to be certain no exposure occurred.  If you are certain you did not get a bite/scratch or ingest the bat..Then you are likely fine. If at any time you were not aware of your surrounding while in the room with the bat (sleeping, drugs/alcohol) then you should get the vaccine and immunoglobulin for rabies.  Was it a fruit bat as these are associated with ebola?

Question 3

i stepped on a dead animal and i have a broken skin in my feet am i at risk of rabies even if i just got a booster a few days ago?

Accepted Answer

Rabies: Per the Centers for Disease Control: The most common mode of rabies virus transmission is through the bite and virus-containing saliva of an infected host. Though transmission has been rarely documented via other routes such as contamination of mucous membranes (i.e., eyes, nose, mouth), aerosol transmission, and corneal transplants.

Source (HealthTap): https://www.healthtap.com/#topics/rabies-from-stepping-on-dead-bat#ixzz5EwYBM9SA

Question 4

walking on side road almost stepped on dead raccoon with flies. might have stepped on dried blood on pavement. wearing pants socks shoes. rabies risk?

Accepted Answer

Rabies: call your local health department to get more advice. Racoons can carry rabies.

Question 5

can you get rabies from running over a dead animal?

Accepted Answer

No: In a car? A person would not catch rabies by running over any animal, live, dead, or stuffed. However, a person can get rabies if she is bitten by an infected animal (or an infected person). A person can also catch rabies from an infected person or animal if the infected person's (or animal's) saliva gets into the non-infected person's eyes, nose, mouth, or skin wounds.

Question 6

poked my head outside tonight heard what i thought to be a bat couldn't see anything could i still catch rabies if it was near me?

Accepted Answer

No: You actually have to be bitten to contract rabies. It is carried in the saliva of the infected animal. No spit under broken skin, no rabies.

Question 7

i held a bat 5 years ago, did not know they carried rabies at the time, should i get the shots? i don't remember whether it scratched me or not

Accepted Answer

Bat Contact: Rabies shots are for immediate contact days not years.  You do not need rabies shots at this point.

Question 8

i had all my rabies shots 8 years ago and recently was exposed to another bat i finished my 2 doses of pep & was possibly bitten again am i protected?

Accepted Answer

Depends: Every post-exposure rabies protocol that I'm familiar with requires 4 shots the first time you are vaccinated. If what you are saying is that you received all 4 shots 8 years ago and 2 more shots recently for another exposure then that would be sufficient to keep you protected for a couple of years although people in high risk jobs are boosted as often as every 6 months which may be overkill.

Question 9

9 years ago a bat flew down and bounce back and forth between my ankles for a few seconds then flew away.is there a risk of rabies still 9 years later?

Accepted Answer

No...: Rabies would have manifested itself much earlier.

Question 10

am i at risk for rabies if i ate after a dog who had contact with a dead skunk, she licked my food briefly for a few seconds, unknown if she ate skunk?

Accepted Answer

Highly unlikely: Rabies virus is transmitted via saliva of an infected animal usually through a bite or blood exposure.  It is not impossible for rabies to be transmitted through mucus membranes.  The situation you describe above is highly unlikely for viral transmission.  If the dog appears well then you should be fine.

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Doctor answers about:

Rabies from stepping on dead bat

A member asked:

Do you need to get the rabies shots if you were close to a bat it never landed on me. i pushed a dead tree down and it was hiding under the bark where i pushed. i dispatched it with a long stick. i was vaccinated 5years ago. freaking out so sorry?

A member asked:

From india, there was a dead bat in my office.should i be worried about ebola or rabies, as small amount of thick liquid in my hair near an opencut boil?

A member asked:

I stepped on a dead animal and i have a broken skin in my feet am i at risk of rabies even if i just got a booster a few days ago?

A member asked:

Walking on side road almost stepped on dead raccoon with flies. might have stepped on dried blood on pavement. wearing pants socks shoes. rabies risk?

A member asked:

Can you get rabies from running over a dead animal?

A member asked:

Poked my head outside tonight heard what i thought to be a bat couldn't see anything could i still catch rabies if it was near me?

A member asked:

I held a bat 5 years ago, did not know they carried rabies at the time, should i get the shots? i don't remember whether it scratched me or not

A member asked:

I had all my rabies shots 8 years ago and recently was exposed to another bat i finished my 2 doses of pep & was possibly bitten again am i protected?

A member asked:

9 years ago a bat flew down and bounce back and forth between my ankles for a few seconds then flew away.is there a risk of rabies still 9 years later?

A member asked:

Am i at risk for rabies if i ate after a dog who had contact with a dead skunk, she licked my food briefly for a few seconds, unknown if she ate skunk?

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